Posted on 06/24/2005 7:54:08 AM PDT by SmithL
Washington -- The Bush administration appears ready to help guide the United Nations through an era of reform, even as the president and members of his party voice displeasure -- and at times disgust -- with the international organization.
The president will not attend Sunday's celebration of the 60th anniversary of the signing of the U.N. Charter in San Francisco. The White House rejected requests for the president or a high-ranking surrogate and is scheduled to send Sichan Siv, the U.S. representative to the U.N. Economic and Social Council.
President Bush's absence from an international celebration in a city where 85 percent of voters cast ballots against him will surprise neither students of foreign policy nor domestic politics. Yet it raises some doubt about Washington's commitment to the United Nations, as the 191-member international body celebrates its diamond anniversary.
In the past week alone, the House voted to halve the U.S. contribution to the United Nations, unless significant reforms are made, and the Senate refused to confirm Bush's choice as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, leaving the post vacant for the fifth consecutive month. Two weeks ago, a Republican representative from Texas offered a measure calling on the United States to withdraw from the organization.
It is against that backdrop, some internationalists fear, that the dispatch of a mid-level bureaucrat to the 60th anniversary celebration might be interpreted as the United States snubbing its nose at the rest of the globe.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Great :)
It is against that backdrop, some internationalists fear, that the dispatch of a mid-level bureaucrat to the 60th anniversary celebration might be interpreted as the United States snubbing its nose at the rest of the globe.
The worthless SOB's deserve snubbing. Good call, W.
He should send Bolton.
Excellant!
Well, I'm sure Bush would be happy to send the US ambassador to the UN to this party...Oh! wait, the Dems aren't allowing the president to appoint one!
Good for him.
Maybe Bolton should just crash! The party crashers are always where the action is at anyway.
What? Doesn't our mission in New York have a summer intern we can send?
Skip the birthday party and go directly to the funeral.
I think I'll join him!
It's called "sending a message".
This is perfect -- Dems won't allow us to have a UN Ambassador so they get a lower level person -- I love it!
SWEET!
Wait-- do these liberal idiots think that the UN will improve its attitude of the US if Bush shows up? Are they really that stupid? Bush is better off playing hard to get rather than being sycophantic toward those morons.
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